I was surprised at how much older the men looked than the women, in pictures from my 20th high school reunion (now 5 years ago; I didn't go, but someone posted a lot of pics.) I suspect maybe it has something to do with how golf-style shirts make everyone look balding and paunchy? But the women looked good! (In all seriousness, I think some of this has to do with the fact that it's okay for a man to look his age, but women are supposed to 'take care of themselves.' So as a group women make a lot more effort.)

Also, hair -- women dye more, men bald more, etc.

Random comment for anyone who listens to the Fresh Air podcast: Is anything better than Terry Gross saying "Ali Shaheed Muhammad"? I love it every time, even though she loses the iambs by saying Ali wrong.

I'm taking this morning off to go deliver my earnest money!!! OMG, the house will be mine, barring any odd stuff going on.

Shrift, what vegetables do you put in red beans and rice??

Onion, bell pepper, and celery. I'm not a monster, I just decided to use up all of the celery because it just sits in the crisper unless I have a specific need for it.

I guess I've never had real red beans and rice because I had no idea that there was meat in it.

When I went to my 30th a couple years ago I was struck by how good everyone looked, then later concluded it was at least in part a matter of self-selection. I have to say I enjoyed the 30th. By then we had all been through ups and downs and no one was trying to impress anyone, just catch up.

YEAH SUZI!!

ACtually, the weekend was shitty to the max, until Saturday night, and the utter surprise of being able to go to Planetcomicon free.

I got in a car accident on the way home from yoga Friday night at 7pm, but went to a rental house showing at 7:15 anyway, was shaken up a lot, but we filled out the app for the house and squeezed $100 out of our meagre finances for the credit check, because we needed to nail a place down because the inspections were going decently and we needed to find a home NOW.

Only to have the Realtor, who had told us total repair costs, of which we've already paid $190 OOP THAT WE CAN'T AFFORD, would total about $4000 but we could negotitate, and also take it out of closing costs.

The next morning Realtor FINALLY gets ahold of ExWife, leaving a message since E. doesn't actually PICK UP and she FLIPS HER SHIT at Dan, without calling Realtor first, sating abso not, she NEEDS that money, and nonononono, how DARE Dan and I agree to it) we got the paperwork, but hadn't signed anything, because we're, yanno RATIONAL people and knew Ex had to weigh in first.

So Dan is amazingly upset, and for him, in a RAGE, and basically this is the last straw. I'll keep you posted, but finally, finally, we are going to lawyer the fuck up -- Dan signed a divorce settlement decree that's AWFUL and eveery lawyer who's looked at it thinks his lawyer was a fucking idiot for letting Dan sign it.

If I have start a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for legal fee, D is finally ready to fight, and he's finally letting be untie my hands and do what I do best. Micah is old enough now.

So, we had a horrid start to the weekend, and I am SO GRATEFUL for my chances to go to the con, yes, of course -- but I am even more grateful I was able to surprise Dan with this chance and he was able to forget his trouble for a day and have so much fun.

Strix, that sounds horribly stressful. I'm sorry.

If I have start a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for legal fee, D is finally ready to fight, and he's finally letting be untie my hands and do what I do best. Micah is old enough now.

I would be more than happy to contribute to this.

Oof, that is a lot.

I just got a kind of exciting assignment -- not often do the fundraisers have a key time-sensitive role!